Archimandrite
In the world, Stepan Vasilyevich Fomin was born on October 28, 1884, in the village of Kosmodemyanskoye, Orlov Province. After the death of his parents, he lived with his brother. In 1909, he was accepted into the skete of Optina Pustyn with the elder Joseph, and later with Father Nektary. In 1917, he was tonsured into the mantle with the name Sebastian.
After the closure of Optina Pustyn in 1918, Father Sebastian continued to serve despite the difficulties. In 1927, he was ordained to the rank of hieromonk. He served in the Ilyinsky Church in the city of Kozlov (Michurinsk) until his arrest in 1933, where he cared for the family of the arrested protodeacon Vladimir Nechaev.
During interrogations, he declared his faith and condemned the Soviet government. He was sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment, serving his term in the Karaganda ITL. After his release in 1939, he settled in the suburbs of Karaganda, where he ministered to the faithful and created a community.
In 1944, the community established a house church, and in 1955, it was registered as a religious community. In 1957, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite. He maintained strict adherence to the church statutes and cared for the spiritual state of his parishioners.
He reposed on April 19, 1966, on Radonitsa and was buried at the Mikhailovsky cemetery. He was glorified in 1997 as a locally revered saint, and his relics were found and transferred to the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Karaganda. He was canonized among the ranks of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia in 2000.
